Robert Trujillo: here's where to start with Jaco Pastorius

Metallica bassist picks his Pastorius starting points

Introduction

As well as providing the low-end for the biggest metal band in the world, Robert Trujillo is readying the release of Jaco, a documentary on renowned jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius, slated for release on 27 November.

But Jaco wasn’t just a pioneer of bass; he wrote some great music, too. Here are Robert’s suggestions for getting started…

For the full interview with Robert Trujillo, check out Total Guitar issue 273's free 32-page bass supplement, on sale now. Click here to buy the new issue.

Kuru/Speak Like A Child

“If you want to really broaden the spectrum and get into something that’s really driving and moving, you can get into a song like Kuru/Speak Like A Child.

"It’s got a world music quality in it, but also super-funky and then all of a sudden makes a journey into jazz in a very special way. It’s a wonderful collaboration with Herbie Hancock.”

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Weather Report - Birdland

“Birdland is a classic in itself. It was actually a Top 40 hit I guess you could say, back in the day. If a person is feeling very progressive and their ears are a bit more flexible, I love Mr Gone and Punk Jazz. As compositions, for me, they’re two of my favourites. But some people aren’t always ready for it!”